Automation, Automation, Automation

Marketing Automation can indeed save you time and money in the long-run, but it requires some thinking time upfront to build an effective strategy and streamlined processes.

Marketing Automation can indeed save you time and money in the long-run, but it requires some thinking time upfront to build an effective strategy and streamlined processes.

Pardot is an intuitive tool, but we often find ourselves thinking of several solutions for the same end goal. The key is to use the simplest solution and know how each of your automations are working together to provide you with a streamlined process that’s easy to maintain. Marketing Automation has many benefits, but thinking through the set-up carefully at the start will put you on the right path to success. With so many rich features in Pardot, it can be hard to work out which of the tools to use to achieve your business goals. Our handy guide below should help you to work out what each one does and what to use them for:

Purpose

Typical Use

Dynamic Lists

Build targeted segmentation lists based on prospect data and interactions they’ve had with you

Regular segmentation of prospects using the same criteria i.e. newsletter mailing list and for reporting purposes

Completion Actions

Automate an action from a specific interaction that a prospect has with you

Simple automation from a form submission i.e. send autoresponder email

Automation Rules

Automate an action from a combination of criteria relating to both prospect data and interactions they’ve had with you

Commonly used for prospect assignment and grading

Segmentation Rules

Similar to Automation Rules but they run once for prospects that meet that criteria at that point in time

Run a one-time bulk update of prospects

Page Actions

Automate an action based on whether a prospect has viewed a particular page on your main website or not

Track more important pages on your website by giving prospects a higher score for that page vie

Custom Redirects

Create a tracked link within Pardot or automate an action based on a specific link click

Monitor clicks from third-party advertising or to automate different completion actions from multiple links within the same email send

Engagement Studio

Automate a series of emails and build a personalised journey based on prospect data and interactions they’ve had with you

Build a nurture program for pre-sales, event follow-up or a welcome series for customers

Dynamic Content

Personalise content that the prospect sees based on information that you know about them

Send more targeted and relevant communications to your prospects

Still not sure where to start? Here are our top tips:

Write a list of any manual tasks you are currently doing and where you can automate this in Pardot. Start with tasks that will save you the most time and effort in the long-run.

Brainstorm ideas before you build in Pardot – once you start to consider the different set-up you could use in Pardot, you will start to realise where there may be limitations or what the simplest solution is for what you’re trying to achieve.

Plan and document what processes you have in place within Pardot to keep track of the different tools you are currently using and why. Use a flow chart tool such as draw.io to map it out your different processes and how they connect with one another.

Keep an eye out for your monthly Inactive Automations email notification to decide whether you can turn off any Dynamic Lists or Automation Rules that no longer seem to be serving a purpose.